A recent survey finds differences in how men and women determine
a potential employer's desirability. Experts say organizations must do their
own research to establish what their people value most, and define the elements
that will help the company attract the right talent, regardless of gender.

By Mark McGraw

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Generally
speaking, it's safe to say that salary and benefits are a pretty big deal for men
and women alike when sizing up a potential employer.

Beyond
those elements, however, it seems significant differences exist between genders
when defining what makes an employer desirable.

That's
according to Randstad's recent Employer Branding survey of approximately
7,000 individuals -- a mix of students, employed and unemployed workers between
the ages of 18 and 65 -- that found men and women ranking pay and benefits
packages as the biggest draw, but differing on the importance of other factors
contributing to employer attractiveness.

The
Atlanta-based employee-placement and recruiting organization's poll found
location was a bigger key for women workers, with 44 percent of female
respondents choosing location as an important employer attribute. Thirty-five
percent of men reported feeling the same.

When
choosing to work for an employer, 42 percent of men said they look for
opportunities for advancement, versus 36 percent of women saying the same. In
addition, 36 percent of men cited a company's financial health as a determining
factor, compared to 28 percent of women indicating as much. Men and women
respondents also differed on the significance of a flexible work environment.
Among women, 37 percent chose workplace flexibility as an important employer
attribute, compared to 26 percent of men.

These
findings "do not make a global statement about how different genders view
work," says Lisa Crawford, senior vice president of human resources with
Randstad U.S.

"There
are many women to whom career advancement is much more important than flexible
work arrangements, as well as men who feel the reverse," says Crawford.
"However, our findings show that women do tend to take a more holistic
view of their careers, factoring in more than just [career] trajectory when
determining where they want to work."

"It
is hard to stereotype male versus female career interests," adds Dave
Ulrich, professor of business at the Ross School of Business at the University
of Michigan and a partner at the RBL Group, a Provo, Utah-based consulting
firm.

But, he
says, "these data confirm what many would assume: Men choose a job for a
career -- with an interest in advancement -- while women may choose a job for a
supplement."

With
regard to location, several variables may make an organization more desirable,
says Kathie Lingle, executive director of Scottsdale, Ariz.-based WorldatWork's
Alliance for Work-Life Progress.

"It
could have to do with safety concerns, if prime location represents desirable
and/or upscale locales; or convenience, if prime location [means] close to
home; or prestige, if prime [location] signals a desirable city."

The
findings on flexibility should come as no surprise, says Lingle.

"I've
never seen a study where women [weren't] more interested than men in how flexible
the work environment might be, so this finding is consistent with workplace
reality today," she says.

Work/life
balance was No. 4 on the survey's list of most important factors in choosing an
employer for both genders. "So, apparently both men and women value some
form of flexibility at work."

Indeed,
the gender gap with respect to flexible work environments has substantially
narrowed in recent years, says Lingle, as men "are now grappling with as
much or more work/life conflict than women."

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In
light of such figures, companies and HR would be well-served to focus on key
elements such as -- but not limited to -- flexible work policies that appeal to
different demographics, says Crawford.

For
example, "we are seeing use of technology as a key factor; people of all
ages and demographics have much more access to advanced technology in their
daily lives via smart phones and tablets and the wide range of applications
developed for these devices. As a result, when they come to work they don't want
to be using outdated technologies or manual processes to complete aspects of
their jobs."

This
reality relates to job content as well -- especially for younger workers, she
says. "They don't want to be doing the same repetitive task. They want to
learn on the job and have the freedom to tackle stretch assignments that will
enable them to grow."

Crawford
advises "conducting your own proprietary research" to understand what
employees and potential employees value most, and to determine the elements of
attractiveness that are most relevant to your organization, says Crawford.

"Research
studies that can be found in the marketplace continue to provide good general
input, but nothing is as important as what your specific target audience
wants."

In
addition, employees and job seekers must be confident that the company can
deliver the elements that are most critical to their engagement, she says.

For
example, "if your people cite 'access to cutting-edge technology' as most
important to them, but this is an area in which you may not have invested, you
cannot credibly stake your brand on it.

"Find
that intersection of what people want and what you deliver well on," says
Crawford, "and start with that."